Things to Negotiate Other than Salary: 8 Benefits You’re Missing out On

Getting a good job is about much more than hitting a certain salary number. The best places to work are companies where you feel welcomed, challenged, and supported. They’re business where you know your work makes a difference and that you matter as an individual.

More importantly, great workplaces offer great benefits. This goes beyond fair pay and bonus opportunities. Workplace benefits include things like enough paid time off and personal days, healthcare, and more.

If you’re not sure which things to negotiate other than salary, take a look at the top benefits a company can offer listed below.

1. Vacation Time

Everyone loves a good vacation. You’re not looking at your work life right if you feel like it’s a place you always need a vacation from. However, it is a good idea to make sure your new job gives you the chance to travel when you’d like to treat yourself.

Vacation time varies across businesses. Some workplaces have a strict policy on how much time off an employee can take and how far in advance they have to request their days off. Others allow unlimited vacation time or ample amounts of vacation days to work with – like three weeks or even four weeks total for the year.

That’s a lot of cruising, flying, and/or road tripping. But, you need to make sure you have access to the vacation time you deserve before you start planning your next trip.

2. Flexible Hours

The thing about most companies with a lot of vacation time is that they expect employees to work remote. Don’t be surprised if you have to check your emails or make a few calls while you’re away. It’s a fair way to balance lots of vacation with hard work.

If you like the thought of working remote, though, bring up flexible hours. Flexible hours are not vacation days. They’re viewed like any other workday in the calendar, but they allow you to work from anywhere and/or during unique hours.

This could mean you end up working from 8-4 every day or 10-6. It also gives you the opportunity to work from 9-5 while at home or at a coffee shop somewhere in town. Flexible hours are usually whatever you make of them – as long as you communicate your intentions well and stay on top of all your responsibilities.

3. Continuous Learning Initiatives

Another benefit worth fighting for is continuous learning. Do you want to go back to school for your masters? Are you interested in getting certified in a certain skill within your industry or advanced training?

These are things your new job can pay for! Not all workplaces will, but you won’t know if your potential employer does until you ask. This can save you thousands of dollars and significantly improve the trajectory of your career.

4. Medical Benefits

Here’s a benefit most people don’t think about until they need to use it: medical care. Don’t wait until you get sick to wonder about your new job’s medical coverage. Check to see whether or not the workplace you’d like to be a part of provides medical insurance.

Note, some places will only cover basic medical, not dental or vision. Others may offer medical and dental but not vision, or vice versa.

This isn’t something you can just overlook, especially if your last job was your medical insurance provider. Insurance is something everyone needs, and it’s much easier to access when you can get it through your company.

5. Family Care

Don’t forget about your family when you bring up the medical coverage in your compensation package. Some companies extend their medical benefits to the immediate family of their employees, which includes spouses and children. But, you may have to make a salary sacrifice in order to add more people to your plan.

Still, this allows you to take care of all the health care needs in your home. Imagine having your wife and kid’s vision insurance taken care of or finally being able to give your husband all the dental care he needs. How cool would that be?

It’s amazing how access to healthcare can change a person’s life, and an entire family, too. If you want to experience such joy for yourself, make medical/dental/vision coverage a priority when discussing salary and benefits.

6. Maternity/Paternity Leave

What do you call a “vacation” you take from work because you just welcomed a new baby into the world? Maternity or paternity leave, based on your role in the family.

Not all companies offer maternity leave, and they definitely don’t all have a paternity leave policy in place. If you know you and yours would like to have a baby sometime soon, explore the options available to you.

You should be able to savor the joys of parenting as much as possible, and you can’t do that when you’re at work and your new baby is at home. With maternity/paternity leave, though, you can be a part of all the important first moments of a baby’s life!

Plus, you can do so without worrying about work or pay. It’s a pretty great setup, which is why you need to bring it up if family planning is in your near future.

7. Investment Opportunities

Sometimes, family planning means thinking ahead for everything your baby will need. A newborn needs time and attention, but a growing young child needs their parent to be able to pay for things like braces and school supplies and college.

The expenses add up as the years go by. Thankfully, investment opportunities in your company can be a big help. You just have to educate yourself about what is available and pick the right time to buy stock or open your 401k.

8. Retirement Planning

Keep in mind a 401k won’t do much for your child as they’re growing up. It’s not a financial resource you can start taking money out of until you retire. Once you do enter retirement, though, it’s a great thing to have.

Putting money in a 401k now can open many doors for you in the future. It could be what allows you to retire early or to move to your favorite place in the world when you’re done with work.

Whatever your retirement dreams are, a 401k can help you make them come true. It can also help you support your family’s dreams once you start using it.

Picking and Choosing the Things to Negotiate Other Than Salary

It’s one thing to know about all the things to negotiate other than salary and another to understand how to pick and choose your opportunities. You can’t negotiate for every single item on this list. But, you can stand your ground for a few of the things that would be most beneficial to you.

First, you have to get the interview.

Click here for resume-writing tips and tricks to help you get your foot in the door!